


take a piece of my heart

by spideys_ass



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Tony Stark, Slow Burn, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Underage Peter Parker, minor power imbalance that decreases as time goes on, the one about the two superheroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-22 23:27:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20000215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideys_ass/pseuds/spideys_ass
Summary: After the fiasco on the night of Midtown’s homecoming dance, Tony makes more of an effort to look out for Peter. Sooner than later, he’s having to walk on thin ass ice around the kid.Peter, Peter just doesn’t know what to do, honestly, between school, patrolling, and somehow catching the eye of Tony Stark, he’s really trying not to fuck this all up.





	1. The Iron Cavalry

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of ideas for this, and I’m so excited to get them posted. It seems to be that it’ll be somewhere between ten and fifteen chapters so far, but we’ll see!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Peter Parker released the long strand of web with his left hand, pulling his right up to shoot out his lifeline to the next skyscraper. The school bell had rang just short of three minutes ago, and Peter’d immediately spotted his next fight as he dodged his other classmates bursting out the wide school doors.

What may’ve looked like an intense construction project to the other kids exiting Midtown High, didn’t look the same in Spider-Man’s experienced eyes. The ‘dust’ in the air looked a bit more like ash and smoke than a usual demolition.

He swung through the air, not too far off from the scene now. Peering down at the scene, he identified figures... smashing the square? What?

Peter released the last web closer to the ground, coming to a halt against the asphalt. “Uh uh, stop! Guys!” He frantically waved around, not quite catching the attention of the four destructors, unsure of what to do. “What are you guys doing? You’re damaging the city!” None of the figures stopped, so he flung a web into the nearest one’s eyes. “Hey! Listen to me!”

“What the fuck? The fuck is this shit—“ He struggled, aimlessly trying to rip off the webs.

“Spider-Man!”

Peter’s eyes widened at the growl from behind him. “Ye—“

“Should’ve known you’d turn up eventually. Ruin the fun.” The man in white and bluepicked him up, before Peter had any time to move, and threw him, his body smashing into a third story window.

“Hnng...” Peter groaned, picking himself up, quite faster than expected, walking out the building, standing horizontally on the side, feet slicking. “Yeah, yeah. I’m a party crasher, I’ve heard it all before— But I’ve seen this all before too.” He gestured to the destruction, facing the four bulky figures. “Who are you, and what did Queens ever do to you?”

One of the figures from the middle of the unintentional lineup stepped forward, not at all intimidated by the little spider. Peter noticed the one from before had managed to pry the webbing away from his eyes. They were quite a sight, but well, Peter had taken on Captain America, and these guys weren’t quite as big. “We’re the wrecking crew. It wrecked us, we wrecked it, and now? We’ll wreck you too.” The glint in his finishing smile made Peter shiver.

“I mean, I just met you two minutes ago, you don’t think that’s a bit strong and all? I guess... your call.” He swept down, webbing two of their heads together with a sickening crunch.

While the two were peeling away the web stringing them together, Spider-Man whipped around, facing the one that had done the most talking. Immediately he was slammed into the ground, the man’s body weight enough to knock him to the ground, but not enough to keep him there. Peter pushed up, the body flying several feet away. Peter tried pulling his senses about him, and scrambled to his feet, only to going hurdling through the air again, his body being hit by an abnormally large crowbar before sickeningly indenting the building’s outer wall.

Peter let his body crumple, let himself smack against the pavement, careful not to move a muscle or make a sound. He heard the voices at a distance behind him, and he honed in one them.

“Oh c’mon, it couldn’t have been that easy.”

“Why not, he looked so fucking small and weak, how could he pick himself up from that?”

“Guys, he’s not moving, I think we did it.”

“What? Oh I mean, you might be right, I don’t see his chest moving.”

“Idiot, he’s laying on his chest.”

“Well I don’t see his back moving.”

“I’m not convinced. Maybe I just wanted more fun outta him. Let’s go check.”

He heard four pairs of footsteps, all wildly out of sync heading toward him. “Karen.” He said in the quietest of voices. “Extra-strength webbing, please.”

“New webbing setting set, Peter.” Karen’s pleasant voice came through his mask, where he didn’t have to worry about anyone hearing.

Peter took a deep breath, hearing the footsteps come to a standstill. He squinted his eyes, trying to let Karen know to freeze their shape on the outside of his mask, so their movement wouldn’t give him away. He let his body go limp.

One of them kicked him over, and he didn’t respond. “Looks good to me, fellas, let the fun carry on!” Cheers and laughter from the other men filled the air as they turned away from him.

Peter followed their movements with his eyes, slowly and quietly pulled himself up, standing. “Karen, if I start running, it wouldn’t be too noisy would it?”

“Nope! Mr. Stark installed noise absorbent padding in the soles to ensure the stealth mode was complete.”

“Cool, and? Stealth mode? That’s awesome! I’ve got to check that out when I’m done with these meatheads...”And with that he took off, feet padding off silently, as promised. He ran closer to the left of the party, a web attaching to the right most man’s boot as he ran past them and jumped in front and around them.

Strings of curses fell from the mens’ mouthes as Peter webbed around them twice, the webbing loose, but he pulled it, tying the three men up like rope while the fourth jumped up to escape.

Peter’s eyes widened, trained on the escapee even as he was finishing webbing up the other three of the wrecking crew in the extra-strength web. He glanced back at his work just to ensure they couldn’t escape. His eyes landed on the tightly webbed cocoon. Nope, that’s good. They weren’t getting out of that anytime soon.

Peter knew he took too long on it when he felt two hands gripping tightly around his throat. It wasn’t subtle in the slightest, his airways were cut off completely. His eyes widened, mouth trying to suck in air that had no where to go. He desperately clawed at the hands, but they wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t peel them off, couldn’t even get a grip under the fingers.

He felt his heart in his throat, or... maybe again, that was just the pressure around it, when spots decorated his field of vision.

“Nighty night. Spider-Man.”

⟶ ⎊ ⟵

Tony had actually slept, or well, more of just passed out the previous night. Ironically (or not so much, just in his mind), he’d woken up feeling well rested, the factory reset apparently not allowing for any dreams.

As usual he was in the lab, inventing and messing around with the mechanics on the Iron Man suit, today mostly focusing on the accessories, and additions to it.

He sat on a stool, in boxers and a robe, his leg bouncing with constant nervous energy as he takes long slow sips of coffee. His hand not holding the mug swiped through the holographic statistics of one of his deployable drones.

“FRI? Show me the 3D rendering.” Tony sets down the mug, as FRIDAY changes the hologram. He expands the object, scanning the blue pieces, spinning it around, and halting the projection when his eyes land on one glowing red rather than blue. “This piece here... this is the one missing?”

“That’s correct, sir.”

Tony squinted at it, in thought. “That’s just the camera.” He sighed. “Alright. Dismantle it and replace the part with another, then reassemble.” Tony swiped the projection away, bringing his mug to his lips only to find it now empty.

He stood, only for Dum-E to nearly run into him. The bot reached up, a mug lifting into the air all while sloshing its contents everywhere. “Thank you Dum-E. Clean this up, would you?”

Tony turned, sipping happily on his fresher hot cup, eyes landing on the Iron-Spider suit on display in the corner. It darkened his mood, to think about the refusal. It was hard to imagine it not as a refusal of the new suit, of his help, of his care— ultimately, of him, but of the responsibilities of being an Avenger instead. Even though, if anyone thought about it, he seemed to be the only Avenger on duty, anymore, with everyone else scattered.

He knew Steve had been in Wakanda, knew he had now left, didn’t care where. He knew he had left Bucky there. He knew Sam and Wanda were with the Captain as well, with Natasha and Vision ‘secretly’ going between them and the compound. Whole huge compound, built for a large team, with only him as it’s permanent resident. Happy and Rhodey did stay there sometimes. Rarely. Whatever. It wasn’t like he’d—

“Sir? You have a notif—“

“Aren’t we on Protocol I-Don’t-Wanna-Hear-About-It? Because I’m pretty sure we are.”

“Sir I really think—“

“Fine.” He exhaled, dreading any political news. “Hit me with it.”

“Karen has relayed that Peter Parker is facing a higher level threat in Queens.”

His eyes widened, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, uh, how much higher level threat are we talking?”

“He seems to be facing four super-powered men in a rage, destroying an intersection in Queens, whose intentions are unknown.”

“Shit! Okay, deploy amour, now!” The Iron Man suit encased his robe adorned body, thrusters immediately intensified, and he flew through a hatch in the lab, out into the open upstate air, towards Queens.

He flew overhead the city, leaving upstate New York quite soon, thoughts of Peter in his older, susceptible to damage suit. “FRIDAY! Get me a live feed.”

“Right away, sir.”

His helmet filled with the local news station’s coverage of the intersection, which looked pretty torn up. The camera tracked his movements as he was thrown into a building, his body not sticking. He watched, horrified, as the kid was stilled.

“FRIDAY! Vitals!”

“Mr. Parker’s vitals seem to be quite healthy, minimal injuries have already begun healing. He is very much conscious.”

At that his heart rate slowed, thank god. So the kid was faking, or catching his breath, he supposed.

The news anchor rapidly jumping to conclusions about the possibility of a dead Spider-Man still didn’t help his anxiety, so he cleared the helmet. “ETA seven minutes? Let’s make it three, FRI.”

“On it, boss.”

The repulsers over doubled their intensity, his speed as well, and he was beginning to get a bird’s eye view of the destruction.

Faintly, he saw a red blur circling around something on the ground. “FRIDAY, zoom.”

Peter had swung around the four men, multiple times, but Tony saw one jump up, out of the makeshift lasso that Peter had missed. “Shit.” But the boy still webbed up the other three real well, like hell they were gonna put up a fight again.

“Fuck, fuck!” Tony watched as the fourth man walked up behind Peter, encasing the boy’s neck with his huge arms. He was choking him, and Peter couldn’t fight him off. He heart clenched at the thought of the kid not being able to breathe. “FRIDAY, get me there now!”

“Your ETA is eighteen seconds.”

His teeth clanked as he tensed, leaning his body forward, as if somehow it would make his speed somewhat faster.

He was gonna fucking blow that bitch to smithereens for laying a fucking finger on Peter. He was so close, so, so close, nearly there—

He aimed his repulsers in front of him, could hear them powering up, until he was close enough, powering them on, the stream of arc energy didn’t stop until Tony glanced down at Peter.

Neither of them noticed, but the body finally landed two blocks down.

“Peter! Friday! Vitals!”

“I am having difficulty— I believe Peter Parker to be regaining his near loss of consciousness.”

Tony knelt, metal knees clanking against the road. “Pete, Pete, hey Peter,” Tony shook the boy’s shoulders. “I’m here, it’s time to wake up.”

He heard a groan under him. “Mr. Stark?” The squinted eyes of the mask grew wider. “That really you? Or am I that deprived of oxygen?”

“Nah kid, it’s me. He only had you for a short bit. I took care of that.” Tony’s gauntlets left the boy’s shoulders, instead, one reached out waiting for Peter to take it.

Peter took the hand, pulling himself up, stumbling into Tony’s chest a bit, still dizzy. “Thank you Mr. Stark.” He whispered, low and breathily. Whether he meant saving his life or the hand up, or both, it was unclear.

“Here, let’s uh, I was gonna say sit down but it looks like they got to all the benches first.”

Peter’s forehead still rest against his chest plate, as he struggled to breathe. “Can’t...” He gasped. “Stay here. Cops.” He provided in way of explanation.

Tony looked down at the boy concerned, and uncertain of what to do. He hesitantly rubbed a gauntlet against the boy’s back. It was nice. “Well, I’ll get us outta here then, kid.”

“Us?” Peter looked up, white part of the mask huge.

“Yes, us. We’re gonna talk, kid. I’m not exactly about to fly off with you like this either. I’ll call a car.”

“Mmm.” The boy’s chest still frantically contracting with each breath. Tony resisted the urge to hug him tight, as it would probably discomfort him at the moment, and because Tony Stark did not give hugs away easily.

When the long black car pulled up to the damaged curb, Tony opened the door for Peter, shoving him in before himself. He pulled the door closed behind him, and their seating reminded him very much of the drive in Berlin.

“Hey, Peter.” Tony spoke in a gentle voice, leaning over to him. He pulled the mask off Peter’s face, pulling down the collar of the suit slightly.

He flinched at the slight, dark purple fingerprints and hand marks splashed across the pale skin. “Shit, Peter... I really think I need to get you some medical care.”

Peter shook his head no, panic evident in his bared eyes “Please don’t. I can’t go to hospitals, they can’t know. I’ll be healed real quick, I promise.”

Tony grimaced. He wouldn’t want to bring the kid if he was that freaked out, and he knew that healing factor worked wonders. “Fine. You better hope it looks better in thirty minutes, though.”

Peter’s head was tilted, staring, and Tony realised he still had his entire ensemble on. He considered removing just the faceplate, but he’d essentially damasked the boy, he could at least take his entire helmet off. And so he did. “Hungry?”

“With my appetite? Always, Mr. Stark.” Peter laughed, and it was a breathy sound, but it still sounded good, Tony smirked in his direction.

“Churros?” He teased, referencing the old voicemail.

“You calling yourself an elderly lady, Mr. Stark?” The kid looked up at him, biting his lip, obviously nervous in teasing the older man. Peter hadn’t failed to notice the man’s longer than usual stubble, and bed hair. He bit his lip again. It looked...

“Ah, is that what they would make me? Cheeseburgers instead, then?”

“Cheeseburgers sound good!” The bright smile on the kid’s face lit up the entire back seat for the entire ride.


	2. This Chapter Has Been Brought to You by the Letter ‘M’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has a talk with Peter, about quite a few things, actually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m already back like a day later! I promised myself only to post once I have half of the next chapter done, so I don’t get behind, and yes that means I have some of chapter three completed! Whoo! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

Fifteen minutes later, Iron Man and Spider-Man were seated on a bench, with a Burger King shop in the backdrop. 

Tony dug into the bag with a gauntlet adorned hand, inadvertently ripping the edges. He pulled his own out, and shoved the rest of the bag, with a cheeseburger, fries, and chicken fries, at Peter. Tony was aware of the heightened metabolism Peter had, but not of the lengths of Peter’s modesty, how sheepish he looked when Tony insisted that the questionable ten dollars wouldn’t be even recognisable taken out of the multi-billionaire’s wallet. 

Peter lifted his mask to his nose and reached for the bag, but Tony interrupted his movements to pull down the area around his collar, checking the bruising. 

“Alright, okay kid,” He began, glancing carefully over the now light yellow splotches. “I don’t know everything about the extent of your healing factor— actually I’d like to, maybe we could arrange for some tests in the lab later— but anyway, I think you’re safe to talk and eat now, just, take it easy, alright?” 

“Alright. Thank you Mr. Stark!” Peter grinned up at the man. He bit hungrily into the cheeseburger, while Tony on the other hand, savoured it, and the moment.

He really didn’t give the kid enough time. Sure, he gave him a suit, provided repairs and direction, but he was slowly becoming more and more aware of how else he could help the kid, and of how little time he’d actually spent not bossing the kid around. And, and, of how much he enjoyed the kid’s company. 

“So.” Tony was wildly uncertain of how to start off, but was ready to end the silence, although companionable, for the kid. “What’d you do today?” He settled on, sounding like the classic distant parent. 

“Oh!” Peter sped-munched through the last few bites of his burger, crumpling the wrapper. “So the bell had _just_ rung and as soon as I’d gone outside I could tell something was wrong, I could see the dust and ash in the air from the wrecking crew, who apparently were destroying that intersection— and I still don’t know _why_ , by the way— but I tried to ask them, but they were quite uncooperative, y’know, it was crazy, what kinds of bad guys don’t like to monologue?” 

Peter only quickly stopped to take a deep breath as he swapped his cheeseburger wrapper for the container of chicken fries. “And then like, they threw me a few times and I played dead, which worked, they were _super_ dumb, but then I uh, tried to wrap around them and that didn’t really work out— I-I mean, one escaped and obviously he got me and I couldn’t breathe, but I guess that’s just something I can cross off the list, hah, first drowning, then being trapped under rubble, now by strangulation, what’s next, space? And then obvi—“

“Peter!” The boy stilled, ending his ramble at Tony’s outcry, meeting his eyes with wide ones. “That is an incredibly reckless way of thinking... We’re not, we are _not_ collecting experiences here, you’re not collecting internship hours for a job you’re applying for— this is life or death. You know,” Tony closed his eyes for a beat longer than he needed to, gulping. “If I hadn’t shown up, that likely would’ve been your last fight. Ever.” 

Peter’s eyes widened at the statement, before his brows furrowed, thinking it through. Tony sighed, scooting closer and putting a hand on the kid’s shoulder. “And I don’t mean to intimidate you or parent you— tried that tactic, failed. I just want you to know I’m always here for you, to help you. You could’ve called me, kid, I would’ve shown up way sooner than I did.”

Peter huffs, lightly. “Yeah, right. How would I have gotten past Happy?” Peter opened the container in his hand, munching quickly on the food he shoved in his mouth, expecting to be blown off, as per usual. 

“What do you mean, past Happy? If you want to contact me, he’ll hook you up.” He gave the kid a puzzled glance, a soft, undetectable smile pulling at his lips as he looked at an utterly ridiculous Peter munching too much food with bulging cheeks. Looking at the teenager, he felt a tightness in his chest, and he relished in the feeling. It felt nice, he was growing quite fond of Peter. 

“Nah e wouln.” Peter was still chewing, and sounds coming out of his mouth had a very low chance of being understood.

“Hmm?” Tony’s eyes crinkled at the edges as he looked at the endearing boy.

Peter swallowed. “I said, no he wouldn’t.” He looked down at the ground, at the funny sight of his spider-man cloth uniform against a city bench and concrete. “He’s always going on about you having more important things to do, about only calling if it’s an emergency—“ 

“That’s bull. I have nothing that is more important than helping you and or saving your life, kid. I’ll be contacting him immediately, okay?” Tony dug into his pocket, for his Stark phone.

“Okay.” Peter mumbled, barely heard.

“We all need to be on the same page about this.” Tony ground his teeth as he tapped his phone. “FRIDAY, set a reminder for me to call Happy later.” He could feel Peter still next to him, head bowed. He turned to the boy, seeing red decorate the small part of his cheeks he could see under the mask. He’d made himself look small, shoulders curved in. 

“Pe— uh, Spider-Man?” He didn’t know what he’d done to make him uncomfortable.

“Please Mr. Stark, don’t get Mr. Happy in trouble, I really had texted and called too much in the beginning, I was too excited to do something, to talk to you, and stuff. He was just doing his job.”

Tony considered him for a moment, eyes flickering over his body, the embarrassment of the boy too obvious. He was so willing to take blame, to take responsibility. May really had raised a strong boy, he thought. 

“Maybe. Alright. But from now you report directly to me... I’ll text you, later.” Tony thumbed through his contact list to make sure Peter was on it, and he had been.

Peter maintained the same position, but looked over to Tony, a hesitant smile on his face. “R— really?” 

“Yep. Cool?” Tony said, nonchalantly, as if it was the most casual thing in the world.

“Yes. Cool.” Peter smiled, his eyes adverting back to his lap.

“Right. Well,” Tony stood, the suit whirring to attention and clanking on the concrete side walk. “Clear this up.” He gestured to their wrappers and mess on the bench. “You can tell me all about non-avenger life as we walk back.”

“Walk?” Peter webbed their remains together, and with his enhanced perfect aim, he tossed it into the nearest city trash bin. 

“Yeah. We’re going on a leisurely stroll. Now spill, kid— and slow it down this time. Swear you have a career in auctioning.” Tony fell in line with the kid’s slower, timid pace. 

“Alright uhh... well I just finished my twenty-first version of web fluid during chemistry today— I mean I know you’ve greatly improved and basically perfected a million different versions of it but it’s nice to tinker... yknow?” 

“Of course, I’m constantly upgrading my suits, too. And Peter— no one can ever perfect anything.” Tony pressed a gauntleted hand to Peter’s back. “Progress can always be made, even if doesn’t seem like it in the moment.” 

“Yeah...” Peter just about whispered, before clearing his throat. “You’re not gonna take your suit off?” It was quite a sight, Iron Man walking on the side walk like a regular civilian.

“I’m not exactly wearing anything publicly acceptable under this. Not my fault you didn’t give me a warning... actually wait, yes my fault. Whatever, carry on with the story.” Tony just caught the tail end of the kid’s masked eyes widening.

“Well, uh... Speaking of uh, progress,” Tony looked down at Peter critically. “Aunt May found out about Spider-Man.” 

Tony whistled. “Shit, kid. And you’re not grounded for life? What happened?”

“Actually, not too much, I had just come in from patrol and she was in my room. She freaked out at first, and I had to stop her from trying to contact you and going all crazy, but, I think she’s coming around.” 

“Really?” Tony frowned. “She didn’t like, go all crazy-banshee-but-still-hot-aunt on you?”

“She wanted to ground me, but between school, and homework, and detention, and academic decathlon practise, I have hardly any time left in the day for it to be effective...” Peter trailed off, before abruptly stopping and glaring up at Tony. “And that’s my aunt you’re talking about.” 

Tony smirked back down at the boy’s scowl. “Relax kid, I’m only joking... But hey— why the hell are you in detention?”

Peter returned to their pace, turning his half uncovered pink face away from Tony slightly, as they walked. “So y’know when I was tracking down the Vulture?” 

“Jesus, kid, don’t you dare tell me—“

“I kinda tried skipping out of class... and I got detention... and I skipped outta that too. So now I have it like, every day for ye next few weeks... and I gotta tell you, Mr. Stark, those videos of Captain America saying he’s disappointed in me are really getting old.”

“W-What? Kid, _what_?” Tony sputtered. Did the kid really just say that? 

“Hmm?” Peter gave him those bright, wide, questioning eyes, somehow so expressive even though they were just white fabric, and it interrupted Tony’s train of thought, making him pause for a moment.

“ _What_ did you just say about Captain America?”

“Oh!” From Peter’s body language Tony could tell he was about to go into another long ramble, and, how had he already begun picking up on the boy’s quirks. “So like, when Mr. Rogers got back or whatever I guess the school board approached him and got him to do a bunch of miscellaneous school videos, for like, detention, gym, sex ed, and a lot just about the importance of school in general and they still play them even though he’s like, a fugitive, so if that’s any indication of how slow the school board is...” Peter trailed off, snapping to look over from where he heard Tony’s giggling. And it was. Giggling. 

“No...” Tony tried speaking, but apparently he wasn’t ready yet, lapsing back into another cut of laughter. “You can’t be serious...”

Peter felt his face warm as Tony let a gauntleted hand fall to Peter’s shoulder, the man hunched over, and his other hand held his helmet near to his chest. The wide smile on Mr. Stark’s face made Peter’s chest tighten. He didn’t think he’d ever seen such a smile on his face.

“Steve fucking Rogers giving a tutorial on sexual education. I— man,” Tony laughed again, before regaining his posture and taking his hand from Peter’s shoulder. He missed its warmth. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” Peter wasn’t really thinking. He was glad his mask was on, even partly, so Mr. Stark couldn’t feel his eyes on him. He was able to stare at the man’s face without being caught. 

“Is it helpful?” Tony asked.

“Huh?”

“The videos... y’know. I can’t imagine learning about sex from Earth’s oldest virgin is very educational.”

“Oh.” Peter blushed, huffing out a bit of air. He also didn’t know what to do with the information that Captain America was a virgin. “I— I mean, I don’t have any need for them.” 

“Oh. No girls? Or— boys? C’mon kid, don’t tell me you went to your homecoming dance alone.” Tony peered down, critically.

“Well, see, that’s a, that’s a funny story...” Peter trailed off, and looked up, seeing Tony’s looking straight at him, obviously invested. “Okay, well, y’know Mr. Toomes? The Vulture guy?”

“Yeah...?”

“Well, it was his daughter that I took to the dance.” Peter saw Tony’s eyes widen, horrified. “I swear I didn’t know— I didn’t even know who he was! I had just somewhat seen his face and I’d known Liz since I joined the academic decathlon team in my freshman year!” He exploded all at once. 

“Alright, I accept, I accept. You weren’t intentionally trying to get yourself into trouble, now carry on.” Tony waved him to continue.

“So, uh, Liz and her mom are moving pretty far west because of the whole trial and everything.” Peter rubbed at the back of his neck. He knew he’d done the right thing but he still felt guilty tearing her life apart. 

“Well?” Tony crossed his armour-covered arms. “LDRs can work.”

“I mean yeah. I just fu— screwed up so much... it’s not fair to her and I just, can’t really commit to anyone, not with Spider-Man and everything else I have going on. It’s not fair to anyone.” 

Tony nearly paused in his tracks, but willed himself to keep going. Shit. That was basically the lecture Pepper had given him, except it was the other way around, with her telling him it wasn’t fair to her that he chose the world over her. That he chose Iron Man over her. He never felt so alone than when she slammed the door when walking out, after he failed to respond. He heard Peter sigh next to him, and he realised he’d been quiet for too long.

Tony cleared his throat. “Yeah... That’s the superhero life. Glamorous, isn’t it?”

Peter, in the quietest voice, said, “I don’t think I’d trade it for anything, Mr. Stark.” 

And of course, the boy would say that. Tony didn’t really know what he’d do. Would he trade it, for anything? Or would he always make the decision over and over, to give up his happiness to save others? He didn’t know. But this kid did.

“And that’s what makes you so good.” Tony stopped, and smiled at him. 

“Mr. Stark?” Peter questioned, eyes slitting and head tilting. 

He hadn’t heard his name, though, instead letting his eyes graze over the boy’s soft features on the lower half of his face. He stepped forward, and brought the mask down, recovering his entire face. 

Peter stifled a gasp, feeling Mr. Stark’s fingers brush against his jaw. 

“You remember I know where you live, Spider-Man, and I wouldn’t want us to go any closer, especially not together.”

“Yeah...” Peter cleared his throat as Tony stepped an appropriate distance away. “Alright.”

Tony looked down and ran his thumbs across his helmet, unsure of why he was stalling. He finally put it on, and it reconnected with a _bing_. FRIDAY’s feminine voice greeted him once again. 

“Good job today, kid.” Tony’s voice was more muffled, with the technological lilt the amour always adds. 

“Thank you!” Peter managed to speak out, above the sound of repulsers intensifying, and Tony only nodded down to him. 

Peter looked up, at Tony flying away. It was odd, for him to be on the ground, for someone to be higher than him. 

He ducked into the nearest alley and began his ascent into the city rooftops, to make his way back home. 

⟶ ⎊ ⟵

Peter spat out the remaining toothpaste and water from his mouth into the sink, turning the faucet on to wash it down the drain. He wiped his mouth with the edge of his blue Midtown High polo, and opened the door.

He unbuttoned the dirtied shirt and threw it into the hamper in the corner of his room. Peter stepped out of his jeans, which he balled up and followed the shirt. He splayed out on the bottom twin bunk, only in his boxers. May still wasn’t home and he hadn’t seen her to tell her he’d again lost his backpack in another random alley. He scrubbed his face with his hand, and with the other he reached around on his nightstand, hand flopping around aimlessly, feeling for his phone. 

He brought it to his face. One new notification from May. ‘Just got off my shift, did you find the leftovers in the fridge?’

He typed out something along the lines of a ‘yeah, they were great’ before pouting again. 

All he wanted to do was go over the latest version of web fluid, review what he’d done earlier today, and add extra notes to his observations of its qualities. But that notebook had been in his bag. 

“I’m such a fucking idiot.” He sighed, deciding finally that he should get up and at least put a shirt on, since May was gonna check in on him later, for sure. He opened his closet door when he heard a _thump_ behind him.

He turned, seeing his window open and a figure step into his room. Immediately, Peter shot out webs at the intruder, cursing when the left one ran out of fluid. 

“Woah, kid, chill! It’s just me.” Said a very sticky Tony Stark.

“Shit, Tony, I’m so sorry... I uh, really don’t know when that’s going to dissolve. I haven’t tested it yet.” He was appalled to see his webbing all over what must be a very expensive designer suit. 

Tony pulled at the glob above his eye. “It’s cool, wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been covered head to toe in sticky, white stuff.”

“Mr. Stark!” Peter felt absolutely scandalised.

Tony just chuckled at the boy’s outburst, and it was a warm, earthy sound to Peter’s ears. “You’re one to talk. You’re the one that’s naked.” 

Peter gaped. The audacity, of Tony Stark. He ripped down a shirt from the closet at random and yanked it on. “Well _you’re_ the one who broke in to my bedroom well past dark.” He folded his arms over his now very clothed chest. 

“Adorable. A Star Wars tee to match the briefs.” 

“Hey! Listen here Mr. I’m-not-exactly-wearing-anything-publicly-acceptable...” Peter trailed off, his head tilting, and he squinted at Tony. He was making his way around the room, picking up items on his desk, and putting them back, peering closely at others. 

Peter suddenly felt very small, like he was put under a microscope as the person he looked up to the most examined his somewhat tidy teenage bedroom. “H-hey!” He didn’t really want to say anything to Mr. Stark, but he had just picked up a frame of him, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben, and... well that was more personal and touchy. 

He didn’t have to worry though, Tony put the frame down, gently, and redirected his attention to his posters over his desk. “Academic decathlon, huh? I know you dropped out, and then rejoined, but was that for real or just to get to D.C.?” 

Peter had to snap himself out of his daze. “Oh, for real I think, I really enjoy it, I only backed out because everyone was wondering where I was the entire time, it was really suspicious. But now my friend MJ is the Captain now that Liz is gone, and she said quite bluntly she didn’t really care what I got up to so...” 

Tony nodded. “Good. Keep it up.” And more to himself, he mumbled, “That’ll look nice on college applications.”

Tony peered at the large fabric letter ‘M’ tacked to his wall. “A letter? What, Midtown? Y’know I’ll never understand why they named a school in Queens ‘Midtown’...” The man was all over the place. One moment his attention would be boring into Peter, demanding answers, and the next he’d be in his own world, like Peter wasn’t even there. Then, he looked back up at Peter. “What’d you do, play a sport? Unlikely.”

“It’s actually from band.” Peter felt increasingly uncomfortable, being analysed. He took a seat on his bed, and braced himself for Tony to find something he didn’t want being found. 

“Band?” 

“Yeah, marching band is a sport... of sorts. That’s from freshman year, actually. The two gold pins on it are point totals for participation over the years. I dropped out though.”

“Happy said.” Tony adverted his eyes to Peter’s nervous ones. “For the Spider-Manning?”

“Uh, y-yeah. I think I really pissed them off too, it was so close to finals. I kinda fucked— um, screwed up their drill? They were fine without me though, the last competition was last week and they got a superior, and second in the district.”

Tony brushed his fingers along the material, and the pins. “You ever think of rejoining?” Tony sat next to Peter on the bottom bunk, ducking his head slightly to fit underneath the top. 

“I might do concert band? It depends on the rehearsal schedule.” 

“You should do it.” Tony brought one knee closer to his chest, holding up his elbow. He seemed to relax on the bed, holding his head up with his hand. Peter’s nerves eased a bit as well, because Tony’s attention was back on him, which he could control, but alarm bells were going off somewhere in the back of his head at Tony fucking Stark on his bed. He really needed to get his mind off that, lest he turn into a babbling, embarrassed mess. He was already caught off guard when Tony spoke again.

“So,” Tony began, taking in the teenager’s startled form. “What do you play?” 

“I-I uh, um, have played on a few different instruments. Uh, clarinet, flute, and piccolo— which is essentially just a flute but—“

“But smaller, I know.”

“Yeah! That’s what I was marching this year.”

“Nice. I’m rich, so I can play piano, and as a kid I collected guitars, so I figured I should at least know how to play them, too.”

“Woah!” Peter’s eyes widened. “I never knew you were interested in music.” 

“Yeah?” Tony smiled, Peter’s face was so adoring and, it felt good, but also sickening. He didn’t deserve that, to be looked at like that. But it was tempting to sit on this bottom bunk bed with this teenager, who looked up to him and talk about music. 

Instead, he stood up, hands finding their way into his pockets, and he tried his best to not catch another glimpse of that admiring face. “Aunt May home?”

Peter stood too, startled by the abrupt change. It was so nice to see Tony at ease. Fuck, he’d fucked up. They were having a moment and he fucked it up somehow. “No, she got off work maybe half an hour ago.” Peter frowned. “Wait, why are you here? Is something wrong?” 

“Nope! Sorry!” Tony turned around, quickly walking to where he’d come in, and bent over the window ledge. “Here!” Tony tossed Peter his backpack. 

“My bag! Oh my god, thank you! How’d you even know? What...” He trailed off, unzipping the bag and pulling out his chemistry notebook, the one with all his progress with the web fluid. 

“Well, I had Karen leave a tracker in there, she’d told FRIDAY about some issues you were having and FRIDAY told me and I made the updates a few weeks ago.” 

Peter put down the notebook. “B-but you—“

Tony sighed. “I was in the area, kid. I was in town so I actually went to a few meetings Pepper always begs me to go to. Better?”

“Y-yeah. I guess so. Thank you so much again, I really would’ve lost all this.” He said, gesturing to the diagrams and formulas casually. 

Tony peered thoughtfully at the notes. “Speaking of that, I’d love to have you come to the lab sometime. It’s far, now, but I’m sure we can work something out.” 

Peter gaped. He stood and he stared at Tony. 

“Kid?” Tony stepped closer to him and Peter? Was mildly short circuiting. “Shit, Peter?” Tony put a hand on his shoulder and—

“Yes! Of course! I mean if— if you’re sure. That’s— yeah.” Idiot. Speak like there’s at least a small chance you’re a functioning human, Peter thought at himself.

“Cool.” Tony stepped backwards, climbing out the window. He leaned his head in, “Night, Spiderling.” 

Peter’s heart waited till he couldn’t hear the thrusters any longer, to finally begin settling down. He walked to the window, shut, and locked it, to be sure. Then, flipped the switch in his room, enveloping everything in darkness.

He ripped the shirt back off, staring at it where Tony had touched it. He was still cooling down when he collapsed, and spread out on his bed. He felt the elevated _thump_ of his heart, and the shakiness in his muscles. 

His phone vibrated with a new notification, and he reached for it again off the table. It was a text from an unknown number.

-

Sleep tight, don’t let the spiders bite.

-

Peter inhaled sharply. Tony Stark texted him. Tony Stark had sat on his bed. Peter slipped under the covers, and looked over at where his varsity letter, ‘M’ hung on his wall. Peter, with his enhanced senses, could still smell Tony in the room. His somewhat shaky hands crossed the skin of his stomach, Peter letting out soft exhales as they snaked down.

And if those hands snuck under an elastic band that night, if some soft sounds escaped the thin walls as Aunt May unlocked the door, if she skipped checking in on him that night, well, no one ever said anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t y’all get used to this every other day pace— I’ll truly probably only be posting bi-weekly.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys liked that, and stay for the good parts later on!

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys have any suggestions as to tags, constructive criticism, corrections, questions, or comments, I’d love to hear them!!
> 
> I’m going to try to update at least once weekly, might be a bit more frequent at times, or possibly less, I’ll try tony best to be consistent, though.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


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